Homophobia in a Highly Conservative Nation Strikes Again

Earlier this week, a band by the name of Mashrou' Leila, a Lebanese group, performed at a concert in Cairo, Egypt. What had seemed to be an excellent showing, by both the band and crowd, the seemingly fun event was turned sour for reasons of homophobia and religious conservatism. Seven people in the crowd that day were arrested for waving the rainbow colored flag that represents the LGBTQ community. It is also worth mentioning that the lead singer for Mashrou' Leila is openly gay, and so this kind of support is not unexpected. The fans were arrested on the basis of "promoting sexual deviancy," in other words, what they were supporting and representing does not conform to societal standards. 
Mashrou' Leila at concert in Cairo on 22 September 2017 Picture of the band, from the BBC

Homosexuality is not a crime punishable by detainment, however since 2013, there have been 113 investigations that involved 274 individuals who were gay, lesbian, transgender, and so on. And it is not like the people in power have any qualms with these investigations, as many politicians and news agencies have voiced their contempt , as Reda Ragab, a member of a syndicate that monitors music, said " We are a religious, conservative society, an identity we need to preserve. This is a scandal against our traditions and far from serious and meaningful art." It is also worth noting that his organization is seeking ways to prevent Mashrou' Leila from ever performing in Egypt again.

 It goes without saying, that this is a ridiculous thing to have happened. The fact that the opposition to open support of the LGBTQ community is shunned due to traditionalism and fundamentalism is frankly outrageous. I believe that these people afraid of change have no right or basis to shun these people simply because of their sexual orientation. The issues surrounding gay rights have gotten better over the last several decades, but this development exemplifies that we are still a long way from this injustice occurring at all. I only hope that change is made in regards to this topic is made soon. It just frustrates me to no end that this injustice is still an issue.

 The Article that was used: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-41398193

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Proof is in the Ice Cream

Image
So, in a more lighter tone then last week's post, this one from the BBC succeeds in putting a smile on my face by the sheer absurdity of it. Presently in Zimbabwe, there are talks of who is most likely to succeed the current president, Robert Mugabe. The man in which many believe to be best suited for the job is current Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa. So in a turn of events no one saw coming, he goes and makes a claim in which proves him to be a bit off his rocker. The Co-Vice-President of the country, Phelekezela Mphoko and standing president as Mugabe is out of the country, has accused Mnangagwa of lying, when Mnangawa claimed to have been poisoned at a rally this past August held by Mugabe. The method of choice? Ice cream. Mnangawa claims that he was poisoned by the president's wife's dairy firm in which the ice cream was procured. Turns out, as reported by Mphoko, the cause of Mnangawa's illness was stale food. Now, whether or not this effects Mnanagawa's cha
Read more

Mansa Musa of the 21st Century

Image
Time for an article a bit more uplifting than last week. Earlier this year, Gambia's presidential elections experience an upset that, according to the BBC, was unprecedented and "is arguably a bigger shock than that of fellow property mogul in the US, Donald Trump"(BBC, 2017). This accolade goes to real estate entrepreneur and 51-year old Adama Barrow. The main reason that there is a comparison between Trump and Barrow, is that neither of them have ever held public office. Gambia had also been under presidential rule by Yahya Jammeh, who had been president for over 22 years. The desire for change by the young adults of Gambia, as well as a fortunate turn of events, the previous candidate having been arrested before the elections officially began. This gave Barrow the opportunity to capitalize on the situation.  Credit given to the BBC Adama Barrow is also a devout Muslim. And, like the famed ancient sultan of the Mali Empire Mansa Musa, Barrow, according to the Washi
Read more

By D Grace of God: A Story About Trust and the Hope for Humanity

This post is going to be a bit different. I am going to be talking about a quirky little event that has occurred between a man in America and a man in Liberia, and how expectations can be subverted if we all take a chance. The story goes that Pleasant Green received a Facebook message by a man in Liberia named Joel. Joel appeared at first as some sort of con man, but Green humored him, saying that if he wasted Joel's time, then he would not be able to scam others. Green made a business proposition that if Joel were to take some photos of his home, then maybe Green would pay him for the photos he liked. What seemed to be at first a scam, turned into something different. Seeing that Joel was taking this seriously, Green sent him a basic $30 camera, and what happened next was incredible. The photos got better, the photos revealed the life that exists in Liberia as well as the struggles. Green then got the idea to run an IndieGoGo campaign to help fund a book made up of the photos
Read more